28% of US smartphone owners use them as primary ‘Net connection

The Pew Internet Project conducted its first standalone measure of smartphone …

Just over a third of American adults own a smartphone of some kind, with many preferring to use it as their primary connection to the Internet. That's according to a report from the Pew Internet Project, which the organization says is its first standalone measure of smartphone ownership and usage in the US.

Pew surveyed 2,277 US adults between April and May of this year and found that 83 percent have some kind of cell phone. From that group, 42 percent reported owning smartphones, evening out to 35 percent of all adults surveyed. The demographics of that group are hardly surprising, either: smartphones tend to be the most popular among those with a college degree and the financially "well off," and the highest rate of ownership is among those under the age of 45.

Here's another shocker: nearly half of those who are employed full time have a smartphone, while just over a quarter of those who are not employed have one. (Feeling chained to work, anyone?) Smartphone owners are also more likely than "regular" cell owners and the general population to own laptops, music players, desktop computers, tablets, and e-book readers.

What is somewhat unexpected is the fact that there's a not-insignificant percentage of survey respondents who use their devices as the primary way to get online. According to Pew, 28 percent of smartphone owners access the Internet this way most of the time, which amounts to 10 percent of all cell owners or 8 percent of all adults in the US. Mobile-only access to the Internet is nothing new in other parts of the world, but the growing availability of smartphones and the continued difficulty of getting broadband access in low-income or rural areas is undoubtedly feeding this trend in the US.

"Smartphone owners under the age of 30, non-white smartphone users, and smartphone owners with relatively low income and education levels are particularly likely to say that they mostly go online using their phones," wrote Pew, which says that nearly a third of the "mostly cell" group lacks any kind of traditional broadband Internet access. Still, the organization points out that even among those who use their smartphone as the main source of Internet access, laptop and desktop ownership is very prevalent, indicating that they're not always going online from their phones out of necessity.

Finally, no report on smartphone adoption would be complete without some market share statistics. Pew says that 15 percent of all cell owners (35 percent of smartphone owners) reported that they own an Android device. Apple and RIM are tied at 10 percent each of all cell owners (24 percent of smartphone owners), while Microsoft and Palm both claimed two percent of all cell owners, respectively.

With Android's meteoric rise in popularity throughout 2010, we can't say we're surprised to see these numbers, though Nielsen recently reported that iPhone sales were beginning to climb again at the beginning of this year. Pew does point out some demographic differences in ownership, however. More than a quarter of African-American cell owners own an Android device—roughly twice the rate for Caucasian and Latino users. And ownership of BlackBerry and iPhones are particularly high among those with the highest level of education and incomes: these people are three to four times more likely to own a BlackBerry or iPhone than those of lower income or education levels. Additionally, those who live in urban or suburban environments are twice as likely to own an iPhone compared to rural users.

Cisco recently predicted that there will be 788 million mobile-only Internet users globally by 2015 while mobile data traffic will increase by a factor of 26 between now and then. With one in 10 cell phone owners in the US already using the Internet this way, those numbers are sure to climb as smartphones become more common among regular consumers. After all, they may eventually find that they don't necessarily need a home computer anymore, as long as they can check e-mail and Facebook on their iPhone or Android device.

Jacqui Cheng
Jacqui is an Editor at Large at Ars Technica, where she has spent the last eight years writing about Apple culture, gadgets, social networking, privacy, and more. Emailjacqui@arstechnica.com//Twitter@eJacqui

28 % of the people are on capped overpriced who knows what it costs you in the end internet access.i feel your pain people but do not worry because if the telcos got their way all broadband would be capped and overpriced heavily.and i might add that shortly they will all be spying on our every move as they will become the copyright cops.

aaaahhh where is anonymous and lulzsec when you need them.we all need to see the inner working of verizon,att,slime warner,etc.we all want to read thru the dirt.

Actually, I'm pretty sure their numbers are accurate .... 28% of people surveyed using cellular as their primary Internet connection? I see this a lot around here. My wife works for a company that handles verification of eligibility for state medical benefits, and a good chunk of the employees they hired to go out and do the assessments don't have Internet at home, whatsoever. The Blackberry phones they're issued serve as their only net connection. Seems a little tough to believe, in this day and age -- but it's true. A lot of the people doing this type of work live in small towns outside the city limits, and they really don't have good options for broadband. (Hard-core computer users in those areas tend to subscribe to satellite -- but nobody else would pay those installation and monthly usage charges, realistically.)

I used to. Seriously gouged by AT&T for tethering. 4GB per month doesn't go far and I was getting $200 per month bills for overage.

Then I found mojavewifi.com. Not sure what you call it (basically it's fixed wireless) but it's unlimited @ $25.95 per month. Advertised speed is 512 Kbps but actual is around 720 Kbps. Good enough. They mounted an antenna on my eave aimed at their closest access point. Pretty cool, it just works and never goes down. They have coverage all over the Morongo Basin in California.

I could get twice the speed for $45.95 but don't really need it. Soon they are going to a fiber connection and speeds will go up with likely more options.

Not really surprising as most users' majority use the 'net is email, Facebook, and surfing the web... all of which are handled quite well by smart phones these days and they are very portable.

And this is exactly why Microsoft is so scared and are willing to make a break with the past for Windows 8.

Dell and HP must be getting very nervous as well.

It makes everybody who actually needs a computer nervous... having the computing world starting to be driven by the needs of those who have the fewest and least 'sophisticated' computing needs is pretty scary.

Not really surprising as most users' majority use the 'net is email, Facebook, and surfing the web... all of which are handled quite well by smart phones these days and they are very portable.

And this is exactly why Microsoft is so scared and are willing to make a break with the past for Windows 8.

Dell and HP must be getting very nervous as well.

It makes everybody who actually needs a computer nervous... having the computing world starting to be driven by the needs of those who have the fewest and least 'sophisticated' computing needs is pretty scary.

Hence why many have been bashing anything Apple for decades. My hope is that our ''niche'' market will still be big enough to get something... The same thing could be said about the cloud, all those ignorant fucktards (most people) are welcoming SaaS (rebranded as cloud) with open arms.

Not really surprising as most users' majority use the 'net is email, Facebook, and surfing the web... all of which are handled quite well by smart phones these days and they are very portable.

And this is exactly why Microsoft is so scared and are willing to make a break with the past for Windows 8.

Dell and HP must be getting very nervous as well.

It makes everybody who actually needs a computer nervous... having the computing world starting to be driven by the needs of those who have the fewest and least 'sophisticated' computing needs is pretty scary.

++

I am already getting annoyed at every site trying to link me back to Facebook Social, but having my future computing experience dictated by the masses with a 3" screen is a bit worrisome indeed.

I wonder how many of the smartphone-exclusive web users have monthly bills in excess of $200. I know quite a few not-so-well-off individuals with 'zero disposable income' who scrounge up $250/month to watch TV on their Evo 4G's and play Angry Birds on their iPhone 4's.

It's practically predatory at this point. The message is, if you aren't on facebook and don't have a smartphone you're irrelevant to your friends - so pony up. Society is mean. I'm glad that I'm fortunate...

Still, the organization points out that even among those who use their smartphone as the main source of Internet access, laptop and desktop ownership is very prevalent, indicating that they're not always going online from their phones out of necessity.

Finally, no report on smartphone adoption would be complete without some market share statistics. Pew says that [...] Microsoft and Palm both claimed two percent of all cell owners, respectively.

Still, the organization points out that even among those who use their smartphone as the main source of Internet access, laptop and desktop ownership is very prevalent, indicating that they're not always going online from their phones out of necessity.

Finally, no report on smartphone adoption would be complete without some market share statistics. Pew says that [...] Microsoft and Palm both claimed two percent of all cell owners, respectively.

I have never been away from a wired broadband line for more then 2 months in the pass 10 years. And that 2 months was due to being in a village in India (during which time I had mobile broadband via my phone).

I doubt I will use my smart phone for internet all that much. Especially since I don't use facebook and other similar sites. I currently have mobile broadband (with a 12 GB limit per month), but I don't think I will even use a couple of gigs a month.

In the same time frame, the longest I was without any mobile phone at all was almost a year. It was pretty liberating not to be contacted at all hours of the day by all sorts of people.

I could see using a tether or air card for everyday internet use if the ping wasn't so horrible and it wasn't capped and *insert oft mentioned problems here* Beyond checking your email and looking up something on wikipedia, smartphones simply do not yet have enough pros on their side to compete with a wired connection.

Not really surprising as most users' majority use the 'net is email, Facebook, and surfing the web... all of which are handled quite well by smart phones these days and they are very portable.

And this is exactly why Microsoft is so scared and are willing to make a break with the past for Windows 8.

Dell and HP must be getting very nervous as well.

It makes everybody who actually needs a computer nervous... having the computing world starting to be driven by the needs of those who have the fewest and least 'sophisticated' computing needs is pretty scary.

Hence why many have been bashing anything Apple for decades. My hope is that our ''niche'' market will still be big enough to get something... The same thing could be said about the cloud, all those ignorant fucktards (most people) are welcoming SaaS (rebranded as cloud) with open arms.

They are hardly the same at all. Apple help invent the home computer market. They have been selling machines that have been competitive with PC Kludge Clones for most of their history. Usually they got knocked for absurdly overpriced gear that tends to make computing much less accessable to the masses due to it's absurd price tag.

It's only the last few years that anyone has bashed Apple for being a consumer electronics company trying to pass itself off as a computing company.

You can use a jailbroken phone like a real PC if you know how. They really aren't that different once you get past the superficial bits and artificially imposed limitations.

Still, the organization points out that even among those who use their smartphone as the main source of Internet access, laptop and desktop ownership is very prevalent, indicating that they're not always going online from their phones out of necessity.

Finally, no report on smartphone adoption would be complete without some market share statistics. Pew says that [...] Microsoft and Palm both claimed two percent of all cell owners, respectively.

Microsoft is so fucked.

Yeah, Android is really edging in on that home PC market.

Been in a Best Buy lately?

Microsoft should be VERY scared. They should be getting their *sses in gear already and addressing the new form factor (namely tablets).

Microsoft should be VERY scared. They should be getting their *sses in gear already and addressing the new form factor (namely tablets).

Microsoft may see a decline in their home use market, but businesses still rely heavily on their software. It's not all about what Best Buy is selling.

Also, the article mentioned that smartphone owners are more likely to own laptop and desktop systems. This seems to imply that the phone is an add-on. Which OS do you think is installed on these other systems?

Just wanted to point out that using a smartphone as your primary internet access _device_ is not the same thing as primarily using cellular internet access. Ignoring work, these days I sometimes go a week without turning on my desktop, opting to pull out my iPhone or iPad from any room in the house (or others' houses). They're just more comfortable for browsing or playing little games.

Still, the organization points out that even among those who use their smartphone as the main source of Internet access, laptop and desktop ownership is very prevalent, indicating that they're not always going online from their phones out of necessity.

Finally, no report on smartphone adoption would be complete without some market share statistics. Pew says that [...] Microsoft and Palm both claimed two percent of all cell owners, respectively.

Microsoft may see a decline in their home use market, but businesses still rely heavily on their software. It's not all about what Best Buy is selling.

Also, the article mentioned that smartphone owners are more likely to own laptop and desktop systems. This seems to imply that the phone is an add-on. Which OS do you think is installed on these other systems?

Microsoft has nothing to fear for a while.

Nobody's saying Microsoft is going bankrupt anytime soon, and PCs are going to be around forever (in tech terms) but they do risk being on the wrong side of a mainframe to PC transition this time around.

Over the last decade, Microsoft is down 20% and IBM is up 60%. From an investment perspective, I'd say they either need to figure out how to get on a profitable new bandwagon somewhere or they need to learn how to thrive without any longer taking monopoly rent from the leading growth product in the tech industry.

It's only the last few years that anyone has bashed Apple for being a consumer electronics company trying to pass itself off as a computing company.

You can use a jailbroken phone like a real PC if you know how. They really aren't that different once you get past the superficial bits and artificially imposed limitations.

Fair enough. But I despise ''artificially imposed limitations'' whether they are removable or not. It get the masses used to that model and before you realize it, it get locked down at the hardware level. What I fear the most is the introduction of the Appstore thingy on real computers (desktop/laptop).

Good point, and patent licensing is a big part of IBM's post-monopoly business structure, but I bet Microsoft would still rather have you locked into their OS than trying to essentially patent troll someone else's. Note also that given Microsoft and Apple's broad cross licensing agreements, Microsoft is unlikely to be taking any revenue from the other growing post-PC platform.

Even my wife spends more internet time on her phone than her PC - and she's on a dumbphone!

A couple weeks ago my internet service was interrupted at the street level, so I fired up the wifi on my phone to play CoD online. Had no idea just how stable it would be. Never even a hiccup. Never woulda thought it possible.

Microsoft may see a decline in their home use market, but businesses still rely heavily on their software. It's not all about what Best Buy is selling.

Also, the article mentioned that smartphone owners are more likely to own laptop and desktop systems. This seems to imply that the phone is an add-on. Which OS do you think is installed on these other systems?

Microsoft has nothing to fear for a while.

Agreed, MS will continue to dominate PC OS market share especially with large businesses and government agencies.

What the rise of Android and iOS has meant is that finally other companies can at least survive and compete against Microsoft with operating systems that have basic PC functionality. But MS is still dominant in PC OS market share and will be for the foreseeable future.

Even my wife spends more internet time on her phone than her PC - and she's on a dumbphone!

A couple weeks ago my internet service was interrupted at the street level, so I fired up the wifi on my phone to play CoD online. Had no idea just how stable it would be. Never even a hiccup. Never woulda thought it possible.

The "Call of Duty" for Game Loft? or a Console/PC Call of Duty? And if the latter then the real question is how much you're paying for tethering.

Not really surprising as most users' majority use the 'net is email, Facebook, and surfing the web... all of which are handled quite well by smart phones these days and they are very portable.

And this is exactly why Microsoft is so scared and are willing to make a break with the past for Windows 8.

Dell and HP must be getting very nervous as well.

It makes everybody who actually needs a computer nervous... having the computing world starting to be driven by the needs of those who have the fewest and least 'sophisticated' computing needs is pretty scary.

Pff... it's only scary if you're incapable of accepting change.

The world of computing is approaching another major shift. It's not the first time this happened. The previous one was the change in focus from mainframe computing to personal computing. Now it's personal computing to mobile computing.

And just like last time, there are people like you who claim that this is "wrong" and "a step backwards", and that all those people must clearly be morons for wanting to use something that considerably is less powerful than the previous dominating computing paradigm.

Nah, we've been talking about ubiquitous computing since the 90s. It's only now getting close enough to actually "see" it coming. What's funny are the people who think the tablet is the end-all, be-all of computing. They're quite unimaginative and short sighted, IMO.

Not really surprising as most users' majority use the 'net is email, Facebook, and surfing the web... all of which are handled quite well by smart phones these days and they are very portable.

And this is exactly why Microsoft is so scared and are willing to make a break with the past for Windows 8.

Dell and HP must be getting very nervous as well.

It makes everybody who actually needs a computer nervous... having the computing world starting to be driven by the needs of those who have the fewest and least 'sophisticated' computing needs is pretty scary.

++

I am already getting annoyed at every site trying to link me back to Facebook Social, but having my future computing experience dictated by the masses with a 3" screen is a bit worrisome indeed.

When the majority users got ahold of some cash say around $600 USD to spend on their next computer gadget. Guess what would they choose between a full size of laptop/desktop or a smartphone/iPhone/Andriod/tablet if $600 is all they've to spend?

Of course the smart majority would rather go for a laptop over an iPhone/Andriod/tablet. These are toys. I don't think computer will phrase out in a near future. But if Dell and HP don't come up with anything better than iPad, there's something for them to worry about.

My take would be the 10" netbook rule. You can play games, it's lightwieght and something you can type on. Tablet comes next, smartphone comes third.

Interestingly, I've used my smartphone as primary Internet access for two years. Granted, I have high-speed available at work should I need it, but my own needs are simple: check email, upload a photo to flickr, check ars and a few other oft-visited sites. That's it. I prefer the convenience.

I also have no interest in buying into high speed home Internet when most providers want to bundle stupid crap like cable tv and digital phone, which are useless given i've never owned a tv or had a landline.

As mobile internet speeds get ever-faster, I'd imagine more might follow suit. The proliferation of mobile-friendly sites and vendor-specific apps makes conducting daily business and entertainment easy and convenient.